The 24-year-old point guard is coming off a career year in which he averaged 16.4 points, 6.6 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 49 percent from the field and 37 percent from downtown. He also registered a career-high PER of 19.43 while playing 34.8 minutes per game.

Lawson was a big reason why the Nuggets finished 38-28 last season and captured the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. He was also the catalyst for an offense that scored the most points per game in the league (104.1) while shooting 47.6 percent from the field (second only to the San Antonio Spurs).

Beyond that, Lawson stepped up in the playoffs, averaging 19.0 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 51 percent from the field in the conference quarterfinals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Although the Nuggets lost that series in seven games, it certainly wasn't because of Lawson.

This is a big step for Denver. Lawson was not only highly efficient last season, but he's also still rather young, entering his fourth season in the league. He flourished when given the reins in Denver last season, and he's one of the most electric players in the NBA.

Head coach George Karl has emphasized adding depth over star power throughout the years (i.e., the trades of Carmelo Anthony and Nene Hilario), but he recognizes an irreplaceable component of the system when he sees one.

Lawson proved last season that he was the glue that kept the offense together.